Newspapers / The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, … / Feb. 20, 1969, edition 1 / Page 1
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12 The Cherokee Scout PAGES , _ _ and Clay County Progress Volume 79 -Number 31- Murphy, North Carolina ? February 20, 1 969 ? Second Class Postage Paid At Murphy, North Carolina 104 Per Copy Union Sets New Vote Date - Election To Be Feb. 27 WJ Mba V TTVUI Editor and Publisher Orgniaers of the Textile worker* Union of America are trying for the aacond time in aa many month* to nil their hiwtnai to the employee* of American Thread Company. The TWUA canceled the election they had aet for December 12 and charged the company with unfair labor practice*. The National Labor Relation Board dixmiaed the charge* against the company and aet the now icheduled election date for Thursday, February 27. I say "sell their buaineas" because the TWUA is in itself a business and we haven't forgotten that the Textile Workers Union had abaolutely nothing to do with the eight years of industry growth we have enjoyed. Mr. Willard Willis, a TWUA representee, in a letter to the editor on page 7 of this issue, states that "the Textile Workers Union has spent millions of dollars over the years fighting the legal battles of Textile workers who have never paid a cent in dues in their lives." That's very doubtful in my mind. In an annual report filed with the U. S. Department of Labor by the Textile Workers Union of America, dated May 31, 1968, the percentage doesn't look so good for the Union member. The Textile Workers Union, whose mailing address is 99 University Place, New York, N. Y., shows that they spent $12,177,214. During the year with only $24,338. going to individual Union members. That's two tenths of one per cent. Another interesting expenditure on the TWUA report was salaries of offices. A president, two secretary-trea surers, 21 vice presidents and three trustees had gross salaries of $368,167. The TWUA employees didn't do bad either, they got $1,893,302. Organizer Willard Willis is one such employee and he had an annual gross wage last year of $15,438.08. That isn't bad just to go around telling you how hard you work, and how unfair you are being treated. There's one thing for sure, the TWUA needs American Thread employees dues to help keep the old money business rolling. On January 24, 1961 TWUA President William Pollock testified before a Congressional Investigating Committee in Washington that his union membership had dropped "from 450,000 members in 1947 to 220,000 members in 1961," but it has dropped still further between 1961 and now. Pollock testified at the same time that hit membership in the South had dropped from 120,000 in 1947 to 60,000 in 1961 although a great majority of the textile industry had moved to the South. If the union is so good for its members, why has the membership in the TWUA continously declined during the past 20 years? The promises of a Union and the results are often different. Since we have published statements critical of the Textile Workers Union in their campaign to organize the employees at American Thread Company, we have had apparently pro-union persons ask us why we take this stand. After all, they say, the Union has promised higher wages, better working condition, and guaranteed job protection. We admit we have not seen these Union promises in writting. As a matter of fact, we have been unable to find that this Union has written down any of its promises. They are vague and by word of mouth. I learned a long time ago that there is a big difference between promises and results. Some years ago I belonged to a Union myself, The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Sub Local 957, Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Union organizer gave me his pitch, convinced me I was working to hard and wasn't getting paid near enough. I joined rnd paid dues but I didn't make any more money because of the Union and I still would get blisters occasionally even though I was a union member. After leaving that job I realized that I really didn't work so hard and was sorry I had given part of my pay check to an organization for nothing. Ask us why we don't believe in Union promises? We have seen Union results. Many of the conditions which made the rise of Unions possible have either been eliminated or corrected by law. People are not now forced to band together to obtain either a decent wage or decent working conditions. Today they are guaranteed by law. Before a person advocated the forming of a union here they should consider carefully the economic and employment conditions in the areas that are heavily unionized as compared to conditions here. It is in these unionized areas that unemployment in the biggest problem. Could it be that over u? of union is creating unemployment or mote automation and partial employment. On a national icaie today, the danger seems to lie in the fact that the Union leaden, rather than industrial leaden, may be able to become too dominating a factor in our economic world. The Wall Street Journal has pointed out recently in an article that Textile plants in the South, without union, have given more and larger wage increases to their employees voluntarily than unions have been able to squeeze out of the organized plants. It is my belief that we have a high quality of employer in our county and that employees here would profit better by remaining non-union. For Union opinions and more of our own turn to page 7. Payroll At Levi Is Over $900,000 Levi Strauss & Co. 's payroll in Murphy exceeded $900,000 in 1968, Horace Cannon, manager of the company's manufacturing plant here, said today. In 1968, the Murphy plant's production was devoted exclusively to the company's Sta-Prest trousers in a variety of styles and colors. Cannon stated . Sales of Levi's garments are now world-wide, Cannon reported. The company presently has 26 manufacturing giants and approximately 12,000 employees. Most of the garments sold in the foreign market are produced in the U.S. with subsidiaries in Canada, Belgium, Hong Kong and Mexico augmenting domestic production. Levi Strauss & Co. has long been famous for its traditional blue denim copper-riveted Levi's jeans which have been produced for over 100 years. In recent years it has expanded to become one of the nation's largest sportswear manufacturers. Early in 1968 the company brought the fair sex ito the picture with introduction of Levi's for Gals which enjoyed immediate success nationally. Cannon said that the company's estimates for 1969 indicated production and sales at least equal to those of last year. Former Resident Recipient Of Unusual Transplant Americus Roland, a former resident of Cherokee County, was on the receiving end of an unusual kidney transplant operation that was performed last Monday in Raleigh. Roland received a kidney from his young son, Gary. The transplant, which was called a success, is the first in history in which a kidney has been transplanted from son to father. The doctors told family members that the new kidney began functioning immediately. Roland, 50, developed Area Day Care Meeting Set A meeting concerning day care in Murphy, Hayesville, Andrews, Robbinsville, and Bryson City will be held in the Community Center in Andrews Tuesday, February 25, at 7:30 p>m. kidney malfunctions and has been using the artifical kidney machine for the past six months. Both of bis bad kidneys were removed in the operation. Roland, who now lives in Gastonia, is the son of Mrs. OUie Roland of Marble and the late Mr. A. T. Roland. Income Tax Course To Begin Monday Hugh Powell, accountant at Clifton Precision will teach a class on individual income tax return, beginning Monday, 6:30 p.m. February 24 at Murphy High School, provided there is enough interest There must be a minimum of 18 people enrolled before the class will begin. Therefore, anyone interested call Tri-County Tech. at 837-3810 as soon as possible. The Murphy High Bulldogs experienced both victory and Nurses Aides Receive Certificates Graduates of the New Career* juries Aide* training program and their instructor* an, left to right, Hasel D. Aiken, Louise Meredith Reese, Emily Leona Sawyer and Mary W. Nave, R. N. Back row, Suxi J. Lloyd, Joyce Ann Bates, Gerri McCombt, Frank Alexander Varodan and Df. P. V, Taylor. (Scout photo by Hujh Carringer) Story on pf s - JLV . First quarter action was fast and furious when Murphy and Hayesville met head on last Friday night Hayesville's Ronnie Martin, 23, strains for a rebound, only to have it knocked away by the long arm of Murphy's Mike Hughes, 11. Other Murphy players shown are Chris Smith, 12, Wayne Holland, 15, and Mike Kephart. Hayesville Dennis Myers, 33, watches the action. (Scout photo by Bill Gray) Murphy Splits With Yellow Jackets defeat in the Murphy High gym Friday night as they won a close girl's game and lost an equally exciting boy's contest with the Yellow Jackets from Hayesville. This was the third meeting between the girls teams, and Murphy took advantage of fourth quarter cold shooting on the part of Hayesville to beat the Yellow Jackets for the first time this year. Murphy boys won earlier in the season on the Hayesville court. In both games the score was close until the latter part of the final quarter when the winning teams put on last minute surges to go ahead by several points. In the girl's game Murphy went to the foul line for the winning difference as both teams each hit 19 baskets from the floor. The difference came when the Bulldogs connected on 18 out of 28 freethrows for 64 percent, while the Yellow Jackets hit 8 out of 18 for 44 percent. HayesvHie appeared to be on the way to a third straight will over Murphy By rolling up a 14-9 lead at the end of the first period. In tact, the Yellow Jackets never trailed throughout the first half until just before the buzzer rang and Murphy's Buffy Flemming tied the score at 28-28. Murphy came out of the dressing room prepared to win. See BASKETBALL . . .on page 5 Bills Are Presented To Change Election Of County Commissioners Two separate bills designed to change the number and manner of election of Cherokee County's Board of Commissioners were presented to the North Carolina General Awembly Monday. Both of the bills would change the present system, which it presently being tested .before the U.S. District Court in Asbeville. The bills were offered by Republican Senator Herman H. (Bull) West, who represents Cherokee County as senator from the 33rd Senatorial District, and Democrat Bep. Ernest B. Messer of Canton. Both of the bills were reportedly drawn up with the knowledge of the other. The bill proposed by West would reduce the number of commissioners from six to three and have them elected on a county-wide basis. Messer has proposed that seven commissioners be elected, with the extra commissioner coming from District 2. Under the present system two commissioners are elected from each of the county's three districts with the chairman of the Board chosen by the elected commissioners at their first meeting. In the event of a tie vote for the chairman, which is what happened in 1966, each commissioner "shall cast a number of votes equal in number to the total votes cast for all candidates for commissioner in his district." District one (Andrews) has a population of 4,834, district two (Murphy) includes 6,813, and district three (lower end of county) has 4,655. In the 1966 election three Democrats and three Republicans were chosen from the county, but the unequal number in the precincts gave Cherokee, Clay Countians Aid In Establishing Baptist Home A home for dependent, neglected and homeless children in Western North Carolina will soon be a reality because of the manner in which the residents of Cherokee and Clay Counties are supporting the efforts of the Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina to raise monies to establish this much needed facility. More than $321,000 has been pledged or received for this home with Cherokee and Clay Counties contributing $26,380.38. Seventeen Western counties are involved in this program with additional contributions coming from persons in other locations throughout North Carolina. The proposed home, named the Broyhill Home in honor of the J. E. Broyhill family of Lenoir, will be located on a 96 acre tract between Waynes ville and Clyde. It will provide group care for about 50 boys and girls from the Western part of the state and will serve as the hub from which will radiate all the various child care services and ministries of the Children's Homes. Two Break-ins Reported In Murphy During Weekend P. N. Henstey, owner of Nelson'* Hardware, has reported that over $300 in saws, drills and other electrical tools were stolen from his store sometime Saturday night or Sunday. Nelson said that the theives entered his store by forcing open a front window. Some minor damage was done, he said. Murphy Chief of Police Pete Stalcup, who investigated the break-in, said that finger prints were found and that they are being checked out Chief Stalcup aleo said thai he checked into a story printed in Monday's Asheville Citizen telling that $100 worth of copper wire had been stolen from the Power Board Building. Stalctip said that he had not been informed by anyone from the Power Board Building that anything had been stolen. This waa the third time Stalcup said, that burglaries which had occurred at the Power Board Building had not bam reported to the poHee department. Two men wen an?Ud over the weekend (or lighting and interfering wMi an officer ' - "Preparation of the campus site will begin this Spring and will involve considerable grading, building of a road, making provision for necessary utilities and water control", according to Dr. W. R. Wagoner, president of the Children's Homes. "When this has been completed plans call for the construction of two cottages. It is hoped that contracts to build the cottages can be awarded by mid-summer." Total campus development will include four family style cottages, a campus center which will provide administration, recreation, and educational facilities, and a superintendent's home. These six buildings will surround a seven to ten acre lake. The fund raising program, named the Founders and Builders Program, is still underway in all Western counties with more than 700 volunteers involved in the various activities of the campaign. Estimated cost for building the Broyhill Home is $634,000 according to W. Isaac Terrell, director of development for the Children's Homes, who is directing the Program. "If gifts continue to be received as they have in the past few days from residents of Cherokee-Clay Counties, we hope that construction will begin soon." Mrs. John Dickey, Murphy and Thomas Wells, Andrews are co-chairmen for the Founders and Builders Program in Cherokee and Clay Counties. the Democrats the most votes in choosing the chairman even though the three Republicans commissioners received the most total votes. It is these principles-that the districts have unequal population and that the Democrats have the majority in the county's ruling body even though the Republicans received the most votes-- that is being tested before the District Superior Court This unique setup was approved by the 1965 General Assembly at the request of former senator Frank Forsyth. Judge Woodrow Jones, who is hearing the suit, has already indicated that he would rale the present procedures as being unconstitutional in that it violates the one man-one vote rale. Messer said Tuesday that he was asked to introduce the bill by the Chairman of the board of commissioners, the chairman of the Cherokee County Board of Elections and other Cherokee County Democrat officials. West told a house sub-committee that it was the county's reaction to the commissioner bill that helped elect him and the Republican Rep. Bill Bradley instead of their Democratic opposition. Republicans are out numbered by l,500in the county, West told the group, yet he and Bradley carried Cherokee County by 983 votes. "The Democrats elected us, and because of things like this," West said. He ?i?n said that the people in Cherokee County elected him to represent them and not Meaer EDITORIAL 6We Keep Asking Ourselves...' If we were employes at American Thread Company and were scheduled to answer the question "Do you wish to be represented by the Textile Workers Union of America for the purpose of collective bargaining?" Yes Q No 1 I how would we cast our ballots. We would have been told by the Union Organizer from out of town that we would get more money, more fringe benefits, and job security like other union plants, and this would sound real good. Then we would have been shown by the company that the Union contract between their plant in Clover, South Carolina and this same Union provides NO MORE money than is being paid at the Cherokee Plant On job security we aru told "Union contracts protect job security" but we are puuled - if a Uniqp protect* job security, what about all the duet ? paying Union members at Dai ton when the plant suddenly closed down in 1964. What did the Union do for them? Then we observe the Union suporters in the plant We hear about harrasament between employees, we hear rumors of threats, and we wonder if this is the leadership we want to follow. We wonder why the Union brinp in many organizers and who's dues pa y the high salaries and expenses of thass organizers. What is their interact in us? Money ? dues must be the answer.
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
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Feb. 20, 1969, edition 1
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